Best practices in asset building - a peer learning session

The Connecticut Asset Building Collaborative hosted our first session of our Peer Learning Network. The tittle of the session was "Lessons Learned: VITA and Financial Education Best Practices"

Our presenters, Lucille Sclafani (CAHS´ VITA Coordinator, center), Laura O´Keefe ( Family Financial Stability Coordinator, Village for Children and Families, right) and Andrew Geisert (Economic Empowerment Program Director at FSW, left) each focused on different areas. Lucille focused on effective strategies to promote asset building on VITA sites, with a focus on targeted programs and effective communications strategies. Laura covered how to manage volunteers successfully, with a focus on engagement and retention, and Andrew covered how to use data effectively, informing strategies and improving outcomes.

You can find the materials for each of their presentations on this link, as well as other resources that were mentioned and reviewed during the session. The presenter´s expertise on this field is wide ranging, having run complex, multi-agency coalitions with hundred of volunteers for years, so the discussion covered a lot of ground. The event also enabled the participants to establish new connections, bringing new ideas and partners for VITA and asset building, and new and potentially better services for the community.

Thanks to all of you that made it to the event - we hope this was the first of many. Hope to see you all in our next session!